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JAMESTOWN WINDMILL 



MAUD LYMAN STEVENS 



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NEWPORT, R. I. 
REMINGTON WARD, PRINTER, CLARKE STREET 

1916 



The Jamestown Windmill 



MAUD LYMAN STEVENS 



There lies, near the mouth of beautiful 
Narragansett Bay a pleasant island, still 
retaining its Indian name of Conanicut. Par- 
allel with the island of Rhode Island, and 
not more than two miles distant from it, 
it is even nearer to the mainland on the other 
side, here called the Narragansett country. 
Nine miles in length and with some di- 
versity of high and low lands, Conanicut 
affords a variety of delightful views, and has 
preserved, to a remarkable extent, its country 
like appearance, in spite of its close proxim- 
ity to so fashionable a sqmmer resort as 
Newport. 

Just at the most convenient part of the 
island for passing, a long road stretches 
across from side to side, connecting the two 
ferries that ply in the bay, and affording a 
convenient route from Newport to the main- 
land, and so on to Connecticut and New 
York. Where this road crosses the island, 
many houses cluster, churches and school 



houses appear, and it is plain that this is 
the permanent settlement of a real little town, 
with town hall, library and all the para- 
phernalia of modern life. 

This is Jamestown, the central part of 
a township, which not only embraces the is- 
land but also Gould Island to the East and 
Dutch Island to the West, two small is- 
lands which have not preserved in common 
speech their Indian names, Aquipimokuk and 
Aquidnesset, as has their larger neighbor. 

Jamestown in its more settled part, has 
a modern look, and one must look farther 
out in the island for the few old houses that 
have survived the ravages of titme and the 
perils of war. Its history belies its fresh 
and modern air. however, for it is an old town, 
as towns go. Two hundred and thirty-eight 
years have passed over its head, . since that 
November day in 1678, when it was organized 
as a town and received the loyal name of 
James Towne, for King James, first grand- 
father of the Charles of the day, or possibly 
in compliment to James, Duke of York, later 
to be James II, as some think. 

Our first acquaintance with Conanicut in 
history is coeval with the genesis of Rhode 
Island. It was in 1638, at the beginning of 
the year, as March used to be considered, 
that William Coddington, Roger Williams and 
perhaps John Clark as well, journeyed to 
Aquidneck and Narragansett to obtain a deed 
2 



of land whereon a new state might be found- 
ed. William Coddington was the head of 
the band of colonists desirous of making a 
settlement, Roger Williams, already comfort- 
ably placed in his little town of Providence, 
his kind assistant in the (matter. 

For love and favor and for payment In 
wampum, generous for those days, they ob- 
tained from the Narragansett Sachems, Con- 
anicus and Miantonomi. the grant of "the 
great island of Aquidnicke" and also the right 
to use the "marsh or grasse upon Quinunicutt 
and the rest of the islands in the bay" here- 
abouts. 

It has been said that Conanicut was a 
favorite summer residence of the wise old 
chief, Canonicus. Certain it is that during 
his life time the use of the marsh grass on 
the island satisfied the Newport men, and 
no effort was made towards a purchase. It 
was not until 1657, nearly twenty years after 
the settlement of the larger island, that a 
deed was obtained to Conanicut. 

In the year before, an active and enter- 
prising man had come to Newport, deserting 
Providence, where his father had been one 
of the first settlers, for the more prosperous 
town. This was Benedict Arnold, soon to be 
governor of the colony, a merchant, and 
one. it would seem, desirous of a position 
as a landed proprietor. He acquired a goodly 
number of acres in and about Newport, and 
3 



then turned his attention to the islands still 
held by the Indians. 

There had been some trouble about the 
use of the grass in the year of Arnold's ar- 
rival, which probably caused the Newport 
men to realize that Conanicut was of con- 
siderable value to them. At any rate Arnold 
succeeded in persuading a large number of 
persons to join with him in the purchase, 
among them William Coddington himself, 
Francis Brinley, a prominent merchant, Caleb 
Carr, later to be governor; it is said nearly 
a hundred in all. One of their number, Rich- 
ard Smith, Jr., was familiar with the Indian 
language and methods, through his father's 
dealings with them in his trading house at 
Narragansett. He made the agreement with 
the Narragansett chief, Cashasaquoont, or 
Cajanaquant, as his nafne is sometimes writ- 
ten, the consideration being one hundred 
pounds in money and several gifts. Posses- 
sion was given by Turf and Twig in the old 
English fashion. 

A town side was planned, the intention be- 
ing to follow the model set by Newport, 
though with somewhat different proportions, 
it being planned to give one acre as a home lot 
to twenty acres of farm land. To the South, 
twenty acres were reserved for prison 
house, artillery garden and burial place. It 
is probable that it was proposed to set the 
town in a general way where the present 
4 



settlement is. The plan, however, was never 
carried out. The lands were held in common 
for eight or nine years, and then divided 
among the original purchasers, and those 
whom they admitted as inhabitants with 
them. Each received land in proportion to 
the amount of money that he had put in. The 
town was never formally laid out, but the 
houses naturally clustered about the two 
landings, more especially that on the New- 
port side. Arnold and Coddington, as largest 
purchasers, were given first choice of the 
lands, and Coddington chose land at the 
North end of the island, Arnold a rocky 
hill or neck of land to the Eastward, pro- 
bably what is now called Potter's or Tailor's 
Point. He also acquired the whole of Bea- 
ver Tail. William Brenton, another large land 
proprietor, owned at what is now the Dump- 
lings. 

It would seem that this attractive purchase 
was not pleasing to the state, cutting ofT 
as it did the useful supplies of marsh hay 
frqm the people in general, for in the year 
after the transaction was completed, the 
general assembly forbade any person, 
"stranger or other" to imake further purchase 
of land or islands from the Indians, save 
by express order of a court of commissioners, 
acknowledging, however, that the purchase 
of "Quononagutt Island" could not "now bee 
made voyde." 

5 



For twenty years then, the Hulls, Carrs, 
Weedens, Arnolds and Bulls enjoyed their 
island farms, until the density of population, 
and perhaps some diversity of interest, 
seemed to warrant a separation from the 
mother town, and in 1678 on petition of 
Caleb Carr and Francis Brinley, "Quonono- 
qutt Island" was "made a towneship" under 
the name of James towne. To show its relative 
importance at this time it may be said that 
four days after its formal acceptance as a 
town, Jamestown was assessed, "for the pay- 
ing and defrayeing of the Collony "debts" the 
sum of twenty-nine pounds, the same as 
Block Island; while Providence, impover- 
ished by the recent Indian war, paid only 
ten, and Warwick escaped with 40 shillings, 
Jamestown was only temporary more im- 
portant than Providence, however, as is 
shown by the rate of 1671 where Providence 
pays thirty-seven pounds to Conanicut's fif- 
teen. 

During this time and, indeed, all through 
Jamestown's history, its inhabitants were en- 
gaged in agriculture and the raising of stock. 
The large farms were cultivated and planted 
with crops of barley, rye, oats and more 
particularly the Indian corn, always a fav- 
orite grain with planters in Rhode Island. 
Our corn, traditionally a special variety ob- 
tained from the Indians, is quite different 
from that found in other sections, and seems 
6 



to require the mild island air to bring it to 
perfection. In early times it was one of the 
chief articles of diet, and with the pumpkins 
that were grown in the cornfield, bravely- 
supplemented the rich stores of sea and for- 
est that were to be had for the taking. The 
corn, to be used, must be ground. This was 
done in early times by pounding it with 
a pestle, Indian fashion, either in a hollowed 
rock or the scooped-out trunk of a Sfnall 
tree. Later small hand mills came into use, 
and as soon as it was possible or convenient, 
a water mill supplied the needs of the in- 
habitants. Our first Rhode Island settlement, 
(as distinguished from Providence Planta- 
tions) was Pocasset or Portsmouth, and here 
the building of such a mill was ordered at 
once. Newport, from the time of its found- 
ing, followed suit. Water mills were, how- 
ever, a manifest impossibility in James- 
town unless, indeed, a tide mill had been 
set up. The next step was the windmill, 
the first of these, erected in Newport, being 
built in 1663. How early the sister town 
had a windmill we cannot say. It has been 
thought, from old stones found further 
North, that there was imore than one. How- 
ever this may be, our first positive record ap- 
pears in 1728. In July of that year the pro- 
prietors and freemen at a quarterly meeting 
voted the erection of a windmill. "Ordered: 
that Richard Tew and David Green go and 



buy stores and irons for the building a Wind- 
Mill, and the money to be paid out of the 
Treasury, Ordered: that Richard Tew and 
Thomas Carr provide lumber for the afore- 
said Wind-Mill." At the next quarterly meet- 
ing the plan was somewhat changed. Rich- 
ard Tew and Thomas Carr were now to have 
authority to buy a mill complete, and the 
charge to be paid by the town treasurer. 
It was by no means unusual, but rather the 
rule for the Newport windmills to change 
their position, but it is hard to see how "a 
mill complete" could be brought across the 
water, unless on some kind of raft. 

In the following April it was voted that the 
town treasurer hire sixty pounds of money 
for the use of the mill. It would seem that 
all was well and truly done, for in the next 
year, 1730, at the May meeting, it was "Voted: 
that the mill be fitted upon ye town's charge 
and the keeper of said mill to deliver her in 
the same good order as he received her." 
This is all we hear about it for eight years, 
when it being perhaps found advisable to 
make some one man responsible for the mill, 
it was "Voted: that Nicholas Carr have the 
mill that is erected in Jamestown at ye public 
charge of the town for his own proper estate, 
forever. He, ye said Nicholas Carr, paying 
the sume of fifty pounds into the town treas- 
ury, and be obliged to keep said mill in good 
repair for and during the term of twenty 
8 



years. If ye main part of said imill with good 
management will stand so long, and to give 
a bond of one hundred pounds for the true 
performance of all ye above articles with ye 
town clerk, who shall receive ye same." 

Immediately after this, comes the vote 
that Richard Tew "shall receive ye above said 
sum of fifty pounds upon ye towns' account" 
and then — the rest is silence. How the mill 
prospered, what occurred at the end of 
twenty years, its final destruction — all these 
are unrecorded. Its position was, however, 
it is probable, the same as that of the present 
one. upon Mill Hill, high land and easily ac- 
cessible from the main settlement, as well as 
near the old ferry road that crosses the 
island from side to side, north of that now 
used. 

We may conclude that this is the "Old 
Post-Mill." concerning which T. R. Cole speaks 
in the Jamestown section of the "History 
of Newport County." This old first mill, he 
says, was built on the principle of a turnstile. 
The top and shaft were immovable, but when 
the wind changed, a yoke of oxen was hitched 
to the end of a long lever and the whole 
building, which stood upon a single post or 
pivot, was turned until the arms of the shaft 
came face into the wind. This seems a cum- 
brous arrangement and unique hereabouts, 
though it has been said that the Old vStone 

9 



Mill required a yoke of oxen to turn its head, 
so that the sails might come into the wind. 

Supposing this to be the mill on Mill Hill, 
precursor of the present one, it appears cer- 
tain that it met its fate either within the 
stipulated twenty years or immediately after, 
for by 1760 it would seem that there was no 
windmill in Jamestown. The question was 
thus agitated. "It being put to vote whether 
a windmill should be built in this town, it 
was passed in the negative." Eight years 
later "Voted: whether to raise one hundred 
dollars to assist Isaac Rowland in building 
a Wind Mill and passed in the negative." It 
would seem that no mill was built, which was 
perhaps just as well in the troublous times 
to come, when those malign visitors, the 
British and Hessians, under Wallace, visited 
the island and burned the greater part of the 
village. 

Certain it is, that at the close of the Revo- 
lution in January, 1787, we again find the 
question of a windmill mooted. At this time 
a committee was appointed to inquire on what 
terms a windmill could be built in the town, 
what the cost would be and who would un- 
dertake it, and to make report thereon. 

The committee's labors seem to have been 
successful, for in March it is voted, that the 
town petition the General Assembly for a lot 
of an acre where the old mill formerly stood, 
and set a windmill on it. The petition was 
10 



favorably received, and the reply of the As- 
sembly is duly recorded in Jamestown's book 
of Land Evidence. This is the text of it. 

"In General Assembly, March, 1787, upon 
the petition of Town of Jamestown. 

"It is voted that this petition be received 
and so far granted that one-half acre of land, 
being part of a farm lying upon Jamestown, 
which did late belong with Col. Joseph Wan- 
ton, an absentee, and was confiscated to and 
for the use of this state, be set off and as- 
signed to and for the use of the inhabitants 
of Jamestown for a special purpose, and upon 
terms they erect and keep in repair a good 
wind mill for grinding grain, to be and re- 
main to and for their use for so long time 
as said windmill, when erected, shall be kept 
in order for grinding. That Mr. John 
Weeden be, and hereby is, appointed to set 
bfif the exact measure, one-half acre of land 
at or near the place where the former mill 
stood, bounded westerly on the highway; 
that he erect bounds and monuments, and 
make a plat thereof, and return the sajme to 
this Assembly. That same lot be fenced and 
enclosed at the expense of the inhabitants 
forever hereafter, the fences to be by them 
maintained for inclosing same. That if said 
mill be not erected within one year, or shall, 
after the same is erected, become useless for 
two years, this grant is to be void, and the 
11 



land is to revert to and for the use of this 
State." 

The land on which a site for the mill was 
thus granted was part of the farm of Colonel 
Joseph Wanton, a Tory, and eldest son of 
that Governor Joseph, who was deposed by 
the people for his Loyalist proclivities. The 
younger Joseph had himself twice acted as 
Deputy Governor under Stephen Hopkins at 
an earlier period. He had received a college 
education, going to Harvard at the age of 
sixteen and a half, and had his residence in 
the beautiful old house on the Point in New- 
port now known as the Hunter House. His 
friend, Stephen Hopkins, says of him: "I 
hear it said that he is a proud, foppish fellow, 
wears ruffles and laced clothes, and will not 
take any notice of, or speak to, a poor man. 
This is an unworthy calumny of his enemies, 
he has been gently bred and received a 
liberal education which (has) matured and 
polished a sound understanding and enter- 
prising genius. In General Assembly he re- 
markably and invariably appeared to be the 
poor man's friend." These were times of a 
marked difference between high and low, but 
the portrait of Joseph Wanton, Jr., while it 
certainly exhibits the ruffles, shows as well 
a pleasing countenance, which indicates per- 
haps some obstinancy, but is not marked by 
the haughtiness so noticeable in his father's 
likeness. The Colonel, because of his prin- 

12 



ciples, was much thrown with the British, 
and it is probable that he retired with them 
on their evacuation of the town of Newport, 
for in the following year he died in New 
York, August 8th, 1780. He is styled in his 
obituary notice "Superintendant General of 
Police in Rhode Island," though necessarily 
only an absent one, as Rhode Island, by this 
time, was free of British and Tories alike. 

Thus at the time of the granting of a half 
acre of Joseph Wanton's confiscated land he, 
though called in the deed "an absentee," had 
in reality been dead nearly seven years. He 
had married twice, the second time a daugh- 
ter of Jahleel Brenton, another prominent 
Newport Tory; in 1775, Governor Joseph 
Wanton died at nearly the sa^me time as his 
son, and the young widow, accustomed to 
every luxury, found herself "reduced to dif- 
ficulty and distress for the necessaries of life," 
and, with husband and father-in-law gone and 
property confiscated, was obliged to petition 
the legislature for the use of the farm in 
Jamestown, late belonging to her husband. 
Her son, Joseph Brenton Wanton, was at 
this time, March, 1781, only two years of age. 
The committee, appointed to lease confiscated 
properties, was thereupon empowered to 
lease the farm and pay the rent thereof to Mrs. 
Sarah Wanton for the ensuing year. Appeals 
continued to be made until 1787 by the "next 
friend" of the little boy, for the rents of the 

13 



farm, which were in this year granted, after 
a committee had inquired as to "what was 
justice." Mrs. Wanton's difficulties had, how- 
ver, been solved some time earlier by her 
marriage in 1784 to William Atherton of 
Jamaica. It is interesting to know that de- 
scendants of Joseph Brenton Wanton still 
cherish, in England, a portrait of him at the 
age of 70; showing a fine and thoughtful face. 
Deputy Governor Wanton's memory was 
long preserved on his farm by the lane next 
south of the wind mill, until recently called 
Deputy Lane. It is now known as Weeden's 
Lane. The Wanton farm at a subsequent 
period passed into the hands of the Watson 
family, by whom it was long retained. It 
was finally sold by the heirs of Weeden Wat- 
son to Mr. George Carr. The old farm house 
was standing, considerably modernized, until 
within a few years, when it was destroyed by 
fire. 

So much for the site of the wind mill on 
Mill Hill. The new mill itself was, it would 
appear, paid for, in part at least, by the sale of 
the highways "running between the North 
Point Farm and Jonathan Hopkins and Tidde- 
man Hull's, and the highway running through 
Joseph Martin's farm." The wind mill being 
built, as was speedily the case, the next step 
was the securing of a miller. He was found 
in the person of one Jethro Briggs, who was 
to give a bond in money or "as much Indian 
14 



corn as one hundred dollars will purchase" 
for the faithful performance of his duties. In 
the following year we see him installed. 

"March 25th, 1788. Voted and resolved by 
this meeting that the wind mill which is now 
erected and belongeth unto Jethro Briggs, 
shall take the toll of three quarts for grind- 
ing one bushel, and no more. It is voted 
by this meeting that Jethro Briggs give his 
obligation for two hundred bushels of good 
merchantable Indian corn unto the town, 
upon them giving him a lease of the mill lot 
as long as he keeps the mill in good repair 
for grinding." Neither Mr. Briggs nor any 
miller who might succeed him was to be al- 
lowed to go without oversight, for at the 
next meeting the town council was author- 
ized to "have the care and oversite of the 
said wind mill, concerning taking more toll 
than is lawful, and removing the miller that 
shall be found in such act." Sad to say, 
jethro Briggs seems to have removed from 
Jamestown and neglected the mill, for in 
1793, five years later, Samuel Carr is ap- 
pointed a committee to go to Newport and 
have a conference with him, "concerning the 
wind mill and his attendance thereof, and 
inform him that the town in general is very 
much dissatisfied with bad attendance given 
at said mill." 

On May 25th, 1795. and for three succes- 
sive weeks this advertisement appears in the 
15 



"Newport Mercury." "To be sold at public 
vendue on Monday, the 22d day of June 
next, at 11 o'clock A. M. on the premises, 
A Wind Mill and Dwelling House at James- 
town." The mill was sold on the day speci- 
fied and bought by Benjamin Carr of James- 
town, but he goes on record in the follow- 
ing August that he, "for divers reasons 
thereunto me known" yields up his "right, 
claim and demand of and with a certain dwel- 
ling house and wind mill, which I purchased 
at Vendue on the 22d day of June last of 
William Battey, vendue master of said town 
of Jamestown." Perhaps this transaction was 
in satisfaction of a claim on Jethro Briggs, 
unless we accept the hypothesis of a second 
mill then existing, for in January, 1796. 
Jethro Briggs conveys the mill to Nathan 
Munro in fee simple, in consideration of 301 
Spanish silver milled dollars, thus finally 
severing his connection with it. 

From this time on we can trace an un- 
l)roken series of owners, who in most cases 
were also millers. The list and the gradual 
rise in price as it passes from one to another 
may be interesting. 

Nathan Munro held it over thirty years, 
conveying it in 1827 to Caleb F. Weaver for 
$700. Caleb Weaver kept the mill as long as 
he lived, it being disposed of after his death 
to William G. Carr in 1847, the consideration 
being $1,250. William G. Carr sold it within 
16 



the year to Arnold Hazard, receiving $1,800. 
Arnold Hazard gave Job W. Hazard a quit 
claim deed, in 1850, the sum agreed upon be- 
ing $1,025. Job W. Hazard, after five years, 
passed it on to John W. Potter, who paid 
$2,150 for it. During Mr. Hazard's ownership 
of the mill it was run for a time by Mr. Eben 
Tefft, now the oldest citizen of Jamestown. 

John W. Potter held it until 1874 and then 
disposed of it to his brother, Isaac W. Pot- 
ter, for $3,000. This was high water mark 
for the old mill. Its next sale, in 1882, was 
for $1,525 to Elijah Anthony, still living 
in Jamestown and one of the well known 
family of Rhode Island. Mr. Anthony so.d 
it in 1883 to Willia/m A. Barber, who, then 
as now, resided near the mill, in the fine old 
Weeden place on "Deputy Lane." Mr. Bar- 
ber disposed of it in 1888 to Philip A. Brown 
for $1,550; Mr. Brown in 1893 to Mr. 
Thomas A. H. TefTt. Mr. Thomas TefTt after- 
wards removed to New Bedford and his 
brother, Mr. Jesse TefTt, now resident in 
Jamestown, was, I think, the last to run the 
old mill in 1896. 

It now remained idle for several years, un- 
til in 1904, a number of ladies, both permanent 
residents and summer visitors, interested 
themselves in the valuable old relic. It was 
discovered that the old mill was being torn 
to pieces by the tenants at that time in the 
small house adjoining and the feeling was 
17 



mill is once destroyed, no amount of money- 
can ever replace it. Not only is it an object 
general that so interesting a link with the 
past should not be lost to Jamestown. 

Accordingly a determined effort was made 
to raise the money for its purchase. In this 
Mrs. Frank H. Rosengarten of Philadelphia 
was largely instruonental, giving a whist 
party in its behalf at her house and per- 
sonally circulating subscription papers. 
Many were interested to give, including a 
number of Jamestown people and the major- 
ity of the summer visitors then on the island. 
The circular, drawn up at the Carr home- 
stead and setting forth the wishes and plans 
of those who had the scheme at heart, is 
here given: 

"We, the undersigned, hereby pledge our- 
selves to give the amounts written opposite 
our names, for the purpose of purchasing and 
repairing the old wind mill. It has been as- 
certained that the mill and land enough to 
drive around it with right of way thereto, 
can be purchased for a maximum sum of 
three hundred dollars and repairs sufficient 
to keep the mill standing for many years can 
be made for four hundred dollars. Unless 
these repairs be made at once, it is evident 
that the old structure .must soon be a thing 
of the past, for it cannot stand through an- 
other winter in its present condition. We 
earnestly believe that this destruction should 
18 



not take place before our eyes without an 
effort on our part to prevent it; for if the 
of beauty in itself and a fine specimen of 
a type of building very rare in this country, 
but it is one of the few remaining links which 
bind us to the past, and almost the only 
object of interest of which Jamestown can 
boast. We therefore believe that the afore- 
mentioned sums of money cannot be better 
expended than in preserving this old land 
mark for future generations." 

This strong appeal met with a ready re- 
sponse. During the summer the sum named 
was raised and the purchase was made of 
the -mill, and the land on which it stood. An 
approach was necessary, and the half acre 
of land to the south and towards the road 
was given for that purpose by Miss Louise 
Carr, who, with her mother, owned the old 
Wanton farm. The legal expenses of the 
transfer of this piece of land were borne by 
Mr. Theodore B. Stork of Philadelphia. Ad- 
miral Taussig, long a summer resident here 
interested himself in looking up those refer- 
ences to the mill in the town records, upon 
which part of this paper is based. That fall, 
repairs were begun, and the old structure 
so strengthened as to ensure a new lease of 
life for Jamestown's much valued relic. 

The deed remained in the hands of Mrs. 
Rosengarten until 1912, when she became 
anxious to arrange for a more permanent or- 
19 



ganlzation. Accordingly a Historical Society 
was formed, its members including both sum- 
mer and permanent residents, Miss Lena 
Clarke of Jacnestown being its first president. 
The object of the society was to preserve the 
old mill and also to interest itself in local 
history in any way possible. Monthly meet- 
ings have been held since the society's in- 
ception with most interesting programmes on 
many occasions, persons who were qualified 
to speak, giving talks on Jamestown's history 
and that of Rhode Island in general. The 
society is now anxious to acquire quarters 
of its own, where meetings may be held and 
books and collections preserved. 

In the summers of 1913 and 1914. most in- 
teresting loan collections were exhibited un- 
der the auspices of the Historical Society, 
the first of a general nature, showing many 
interesting articles of home manufacture, the 
quaint garb of an earlier generation, and 
valued heir looms of various sorts, the 
second more especially for china, pewter and 
sliver. Further repairs were by this time 
urgently needed on the wind mill. A heavy 
stor<m, which had also done much harm to 
Newport mills, so injured the arms of the 
mill that several of them had to be practically 
rebuilt, with a resulting debt for the society. 
This was met by a tea held in the Jamestown 
Casino, which was kindly lent for the occa- 
sion. The Historical Society bids fair to con- 
20 



tinue its usefulness for many years, and has 
undoubtedly a most valuable possession in 
the old mill. As these old mills have nearly 
all disappeared, this is perhaps the only so- 
ciety of the sort with such a treasure and 
responsibility. The President of the His- 
torical Society is now Dr. Bates of James- 
town. 

The mill as it stands at present is exter- 
nally in its original condition. Within, un- 
fortunately, the depredations already alluded 
to, have entirely destroyed its ancient appear- 
ance. Hopper, meal chest, stairs even were 
broken up and burned. Nothing remains but 
the mill stones which are in a somewhat 
unusual position. Most of these old mills 
are what is known as "double gear," a part 
of the machinery being under the lower mill 
stone, or bed stone. This ;mill is "single 
gear." finding room for its reduced number 
of wheels in the attic story above. Thus it 
is not necessary to raise the stones as high 
as the second story, but instead they rest on 
a low platform. The second story was used 
simply as a store room. 

Though the mill has been thus stripped of 
its fittings, the society has been fortunate, 
during the past summer, in the gift of a hop- 
per from a disused mill in Narragansett, pre- 
sented by Mr. George Clark, of Shannock, 
R. I., and it is hoped that this much appre- 
ciated addition may be supplemented in the 
21 . . 



future by other fittings. The society is anx- 
ious to restore the old features now, while 
there are those still living who can give exact 
information on the subject. It would be a 
most interesting thing to see the mill once 
more in operation, and the miller again with 
his toll dish, taking his share from the corn 
brought in to be ground. A further ambi- 
tion of the society is to acquire the little 
house adjoining, which could be rented to 
some person who would see that no harm 
befel the old mill. 

The Jamestown wind mill is precisely like 
those in Rhode Island, once so numerous, 
now, alas! reduced to a poor three or four. 
Unlike those formerly to be seen in Massa- 
chusetts, there is no gable, the head being 
round and the structure octagnal, reminding 
us of the old Stone Mill with its eight piers. 
The head or bonnet is movable, working on 
rack and pinion, with a large wheel on the 
side opposite to the sails and is drawn around 
by ropes to face the wind. On the right, on 
entering, is usually the rough stair by which 
the second story is reached, in the centre the 
meal chest and spout from which the warm, 
delightful smelling meal comes out and at the 
back a hatch to allow of the hoisting up of 
bags by a pulley. Everything is thickly pow- 
dered with meal; sacks stand about, waiting 
perhaps for the freakish wind; a small stove 
22 



affords the miller a modicum of much needed 
wanmth. 

The trade of a miller must have had its 
charms. He was, in the first place, the centre 
of much coming and going. No doubt all the 
gossip of the country side reached him, the 
mill, like the blacksmith shop, being a place 
of enforced waiting, as the grist slowly 
passed through the stones. 

Eating meal was ground in this mill, of 
clear corn, and also "feed," barley and corn 
or oats and corn mixed, for use in feeding 
stock. Usually only a bushel was ground at 
a time, though the hopper, heaped up, would 
hold perhaps five bushels. The time con- 
sumed in grinding varied according to the 
wind, from a half hour to three times that 
period. The meal could not be ground fast, 
as this heated it, destroying its fine flavor. 
The slight irregularity of the wind favored 
the grinding of corn, the perpetual slackmg 
and starting again preventing overheating. 
There was always a good market for Rhode 
Island Johnny cake tmeal, but it was difficult 
to get the right kind of corn. It had to be 
a year old to make good meal, and judicious 
millers were very careful in its selection. 

The mechanical handling of the mill re- 
quired a good deal of skill. The sails had to 
be reefed in stormy weather and furled at 
night, and just as the good sailor tends his 
sheet, the miller must keep his hand on the 
23 



pole, slightly varying the pressure of the 
stones, as the wind increases or diminishes. 
Uneven meal would result from lack of care 
in this direction. It was work that called for 
experience and judgment. The stones, too, 
often wore smooth, and had to be picked up 
with a bundle of pointed steel rods, kept for 
that purpose. For a time after this roughen- 
ing, there would be some loose grit on the 
stones, and it was usual to run through feed 
for cattle for one or two grindings, but it is 
a tradition of this \mill that if the miller was 
a Democrat he would choose the time imme- 
diately after picking up the stones to put in 
a Republican's grist! Another factor in the 
grinding of corn was the direction of the 
wind. The miller hailed a steady southwest 
wind as coming from the best possible direc- 
tion. The northwest was too pufTy and un- 
certain to make even meal. 

It seems a great pity that so picturesque 
a vocation as that of a miller should now 
have become almost a thing of the past. We 
are told that the giving up of our own mill 
was due to the competition of Western corn, 
which made it less profitable for the farmers 
to raise their own. Now, however, with an 
increased population and a ready market, it 
seems as if it might again be put into opera- 
tion, were the restorations carried out. Corn 
meal, as every one knows, is only good when 
freshly ground, the large amount of moisture 
24 



in the errain causing it to become musty if 
kept for any length of time. It is to be hoped 
that through the efforts of the old mill's 
friends we may, at some future time, see it 
working again, as in Nantucket, where the 
miller sells souvenir packages of meal to all 
comers. Valuable as it is in its present con- 
dition, it would be doubly interesting if in 
actual running order. 

In the preparations of this brief sketch of 
the old mill and its history, thanks are due 
to Mr. Elijah Anthony, Mr. William Barber 
and Mr. Jesse Tefft for information given, 
more especially in regard to technical details. 

It has seemed fitting to conclude with a 
poem written in 1905 in loving memory of her 
old home by a Jamestown lady, Miss Jane 
Eliza Weeden, at a time when she was far 
from the island and its associations: 

The Jamestown Wind Mill. 

When from life's strenuous duties I retreat 
And in some vine clad arbor take a seat. 
My mind reverts with pleasure for a while 
To that old Wind Mill on our sea-girt isle. 
Which erst has ground from corn and gol- 
den grain 
A healthy nutriment for brawn and brain. 
I seem to see that boy on horseback still 
Who, with old Dobbin, took our grists to 
mill. 

25 



And poured them all an oaken chest within 
Corn meal and rye, two bushels in each bin; 
A third compartment of the oaken chest 
Held sieves and rolling pins and all the rest. 
This imill was builded in the olden days 
When real brown bread was beyond all 

praise; 
When mother's griddle cakes were good 

enough, 
And her crisp doughnuts more than rings of 

puff. 
When farm house plain held more of home 

and heart 
Than did the mansion in a city's mart. 
Its founders doubtless were high minded men 
Who knew what should be done and how and 

when. 
Such men, inspired by manhood's noble zeal, 
Have always wrought for God and human 

weal. 
And so our heroes may be classed with those 
Who make the desert blossom as the rose. 
The summer folk, who saved this prize to 

fame 
May also boast of its untarnished name; 
Its millers, trusted as of honest soul 
Unchallenged, took their share of grain for 

toll. 
And tho' with changing wind, its sails went 

round 
Unchanged and pure was every grist it 

ground, 

26 



Like the Friend's Meeting house, its neighbor 

there, 
The mill still stands upon its hill site fair, 
As if to watch the boats that glide alway 
O'er the blue waves of Narragansett Bay, 
Free from the pressure of vain-glorious 

strife. 
Type of the truly grand — the simple life. 



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